Palace of Versailles
History of Versailles Palace
The Versailles Palace has a great role in French history, starting from the 17th century. In 1623 Louis XIII built a simple hunting lodge at the site of the Palace of Versailles, which was then replaced with a small château in 1631–34. Louis XIV expanded the château into a palace in several phases in the years 1661 to 1715. The hall of mirrors, built in 1678 to 1681 at the site of the terrace the “Le Vau” built between the king and queen's suites. The hall is clad in marble and decorated in a modified version of the Corinthian order, with 578 mirrors facing 17 windows and reflecting their light. In 1682, when the palace had become large enough, the king moved the entire royal court and the French government to Versailles. The Palace of Versailles became the principal royal residence of France. The palace was key to Louis XIV's politics, as an expression and concentration of French art and culture, and for the centralization of royal power.
After the death of Louis XIV in 1715, Louis XV also carried out many modifications of the palace’s interiors to meet the demands of changing tastes, he installed an opera house at the north end of the north wing for the wedding of the Dauphin and Marie Antoinette in 1770. After the death of Louis XV in 1774, Louis XVI become the king of France. Louis XVI was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution.
During the French Revolution, the Palace of Versailles was largely abandoned and emptied of its contents. In 1789 the royal family and capital of France moved to Paris from Versailles. In 1793, the new revolutionary government declared the abolition of the monarchy and ordered all of the royal property in the palace to be sold at auction. The furnishings and art of the palace, including the furniture, mirrors, baths, and kitchen equipment, were sold in seventeen thousand lots.
When Napoleon Bonaparte became Emperor of the French he restored the Grand Trianon as it looks today, a springtime residence for himself and his family.
The idea of a Museum was developed under the reign of Louis-Philippe in 1833. He began the creation of the Museum of the History of France, dedicated to "all the glories of France". The paintings of French heroes and great battles are displayed in the famous Hall of Battles. From there to the present the palace has witnessed many restorations and demolitions.
The palace has also been a site of historical importance. The Peace of Paris (1783) was signed at Versailles, which ended the American Revolutionary War. The Treaty of Versailles (1919), formally ending the First World War, was signed in the Hall of Mirrors.
Versailles palace at Present
At present, the palace and the surrounding estate are open to the public. The estate of Versailles altogether covers an area of 800 hectares (2,000 acres). The main attraction includes the Palace of Versailles, the Estate of Trianon (Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon, and the Queen’s Hamlet), the Park, and the Gardens. So it is not easy to visit all areas in a single day. So plan yourself and make a wonderful visit to the palace of Versailles.
The Palace
Today the Palace contains 2,300 rooms spread over 63,154 m2. The main attractions inside the Palace include the hall of mirrors, the Royal Opera, the royal chapel, the hall of battles, and the royal apartments. The entry to the palace is through entrance A (left side of the building) for individuals, and entrance B (Right side of the building) for groups. The visit takes at least 2 hours
A – Entrance for individual visitors
B – Entrance for Group
1 – Main Entrance
2 – Hall of Mirrors
3 – Royal Appartments
4 – Royal Chappel
5 – The Empire rooms
6 – Gallery of Battles
Ticket
The tickets can be purchased online or from the office inside the compound. It is highly recommended to book your tickets online. If you purchase your ticket online, a timeslot booking is mandatory and they ensure you an entry within half an hour of your chosen time. This ticket gives you access to the Palace, the Gardens (except on Musical Fountain Shows or Musical Gardens days), and the Park.
Full price: €19,50 (online)
Full price: €18 (on-site)
Free admission: consult all free admission.
If you plan to visit more than one place, the combined ticket (known as “Passport”) is available for a better price. This ticket gives access to the Palace, Trianon estate, and the gardens.
Affiliate Disclosure: The following links are for entrance tickets to the palace of Versailles. If you buy tickets through these links I may earn a small commission, which does not increase your purchasing cost. If you enjoy my content and find my suggestions helpful you can buy through these links and it will be a great way to say thanks.
Updated price April 2023
Passport
€ 28.50
- Timed entry to the palace
- Access to the Gardens ( In all seasons)
- Access to the Estate of Trianon
- Access to temporary exhibitions when available
- Access to the Musical Gardens or Fountain Show
Palace
€ 19.50
- Timed entry to the palace
- Access to the Gardens ( November - March)
- Access to the Estate of Trianon
- Access to temporary exhibitions when available
- Access to the Musical Gardens or Fountain Show
Palace of Versailles - Guided tour
The Gardens of Versailles
Entry to the garden is free from November to March. From April to October, the Garden hosts the Fountain Show and Musical Gardens. So a separate ticket is needed at this time. Consider at least 2 hours for your visit.
Entrances to the Gardens
From Palace
If you are coming through the Palace, entry to the garden is through the gate of the courtyard of the Princes, which is on the left side of entrance A (entry point to the building of the Palace). The ticket counter at this gate is open from April to October from 09:00 Am to 06:00 Pm.
Neptune Gate
This entrance is located right side of the garden. The ticket counter at this gate is open from April to October from 09:00 Am to 06:00 Pm.
Menagerie Gate, Little Venice Gate
These entrances are located on the opposite side of the palace. The gates separate the Garden and the Park. The ticket counter at this gate is open from April to October from 09:00 Am to 06:00 Pm.
The four entrances are marked on the map.
1 – Through the gate of the courtyard of the Princes
2 – Neptune Gate
3 – Little Venice Gate
4 – Menagerie Gate
Main attractions
On the left side
- Latona’s Fountain
- Ballroom
- Queen’s Grove
- Orangery Garden
- The Girandole Grove
- Bacchus Fountain
- Saturn Fountain
- Mirror Pool
- King’s Garden
- The Colonnade Grove
On the right side
- Apollo’S Baths Grove
- Triumphal Arch Grove
- Grove Of The Three Fountains
- Neptune Fountain
- Water Theatre Grove
- The Dauphin’S Grove
- Star Grove
- Grove Of The Domes
- The Obelisk Grove
- The Enceladus Grove
- Apollo’s Fountain
Shows inside the garden
During the summertime, the Garden of the Versailles palace hosts many shows.
1. Musical fountains show
The Musical Fountains Show is an open-air walking tour. The Water dances to the rhythms of the Baroque music Lully, Handel, Charpentier, Campra, Cavalli, etc. It is important to note the days allotted to the Musical fountains show;
On Saturdays and Sundays – From April to October
On Tuesdays – From May to June
Special occasions – Easter Monday, May 26th, July 14th, and August 15th
Timing of the shows
The fountains that are flooded all day long
– Neptune Fountain: from 10 a.m. to 6.45 p.m.: 5 mins every 15 mins
– Mirror pool: from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.: 7 mins every 10 mins
– Water Theatre grove: continuously from 10 am to 7 pm
Morning section
– The Latona’s Fountain and the Apollo’s Fountain: from 11 am to 12 pm
– Groves of the Ballroom, the Colonnade, the Girandole, Bacchus, and Saturn from 10.30 am to 11 am.
Afternoon Section
– The Latona’s Fountain and the Apollo’s Fountain: from 2 pm to 2.30 pm, from 3 pm to 4.15 pm, and from 4.45 pm to 5 pm
– All the groves and the basins of the Garden from 2.30 pm to 3 pm and from 4.15 pm to 4.45 pm
– Launching of the Neptune Fountain with a final of historical jets at 5.20 pm to 5.25 pm
Ticket
The Musical Fountain ticket: €10.50 for the full price and €9 for those benefiting from the reduced rate. Children under 6 years old are free
2. Musical Gardens
Enjoy a musical walk through the heart of the French gardens, to discover the groves fountains which are exceptionally open to the public. The difference between the musical garden and the musical fountains show is that there are no water displays of fountains in “Musical garden”. It is important to note the days allotted to the Musical garden show;
Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday – In April
Thursday and Friday – From May and June
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday – July and August
Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday – September and October
Timing of the shows
The fountains are flooded all day long:
– The Neptune Fountain from 10 am to 6.45 pm: 5 minutes every 15 minutes
– The Mirror pool from 10 am to 7 pm: 8 minutes every 10 minutes
– The Water Theatre grove continuously from 10 am to 7 pm
Ticket
The Musical garden ticket: €10.00 for the full price and €9 for those benefiting from the reduced rate. Children under 6 years old are free
Estate of Trianon
The main attractions of the estate of the Trianon include the Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon and the Queen’s hamlet. The visit will take at least 3 hours.
Grand Trianon
The Grand Trianon formerly known as the Marble Trianon is made up of pink marble under the reign of Louis XIV and the construction was completed in 1687. A single-story building featuring a central colonnaded gallery opening onto the central courtyard on one side and the gardens on the other.
Petit Trianon
The construction of the Petit Trianon was completed in 1768 under the reign of Louis XV. After the death of Louis XV, Louis XVI gifted this building to his wife Marie-Antoinette. The palace is laid out in an extremely simple cube shape, with a flat roof surrounded by a balustrade.
The Queen’s Hamlet
The Queen’s Hamlet was made for Marie-Antoinette and the construction was completed in 1786. It composes of ten small buildings set around a lake. The construction of the site was inspired by the rustic Normandy architecture.
How to reach there
From the Palace, there are three options
By foot through the gardens (around 30 minutes)
With the Little Train – € 8,50
From the Water parterre by renting electric vehicles -34 € per hour
If you want to come directly to the Trianon estate from the town of Versailles, you can enter through the Queen’s Gate by car or by foot. You have parking available in front of the Grande Trianon and Petit Trianon.
The access to the Petit Trianon and the Queen’s Hamlet is through the Grand Trianon only.
Ticket
The ticket to the estate of Trianon can be purchased from the office in front of the Grand Trianon or you can buy it online.
Full price: €12
Reduced rate: €8
Free admission: consult all free admission.
The Park
The park of the estate of Versailles is free for everyone the whole year round. It is the perfect place for a walk or a short ride in your car. The Park is open every day from 7 am to 8.30 pm from April to October and from 8 am to 6 pm from November to March.
Entrances to the Park
From the palace, you have to cross the Garden to reach the Park.
From Versailles town
The Queen’s Gate: Located on the boulevard de la Reine, gives access to the park on foot or by car.
The Saint Anthony Gate: Located on the D186 arriving from le Chesnay. Reserved for pedestrians and cyclists, Only on weekends by car.
The Sailors Gate: The Sailors Gate opens onto the route de Saint-Cyr (D10). This gate is reserved for pedestrians and cyclists.
The gallery of coaches
The gallery of coaches is a collection of coaches that were used in historical events such as the coaches used for the marriage of Napoléon I, the baptism of the Duke of Bordeaux, the coronation of Charles X, or the funeral of Louis XVIII, etc. The visit to the gallery is worth it. Entry to the gallery is free. The gallery of coaches is located opposite the palace of Versailles. A 5-minute walk from the palace.
Mini Train
A mini train runs between the garden and the Trianon estates. The little train, leaving from the Château, serves stops at the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon, and finally the Grand Canal, before returning to the Château. On Musical Gardens days, it is accessible via a Passport or Musical Gardens ticket.
Two-way tickets:
– Full Price: € 8,50
– Reduced price: € 6,50
Return to the Palace: € 4,60
Visitors can disembark at each stop and board another mini-train later.
It is possible to pay by credit card directly to the drivers.
Free admission criteria
- The Palace of Versailles, the Estate of Trianon, and the Garden are free for all visitors on the first Sunday of every month from November to March.
- The Park is open every day and is free for pedestrians and cyclists.
- Access to the Gardens is free except on days of fountains shows and musical gardens.
- The Coach Gallery is open every weekend and during the Christmas holidays. The access is free.
- Access to the Estate of Marly is free.
- People under 26 years for European Union residents,
- People under 18 years for non-European Union residents
- People with a Paris Museum Pass
- School children and teachers in a French establishment, upon presentation of the Pass Education card, issued by the French authorities,
- Disabled people and the person accompanying them
- Job seekers in France and recipients of minimum social benefits, upon presentation of proof dated no more than 6 months previously,
- Culture card holders benefit from free access to the Palace, the Estate of Trianon, and the Fountain Shows and Musical Gardens for the holder and an accompanying person,
- Ecole d’Art students.
- The mobile application for visiting the Palace, gardens, and Estate of Trianon is available for free on the App Store and Google Play.
Those eligible for free admission must book a time slot in advance and present their proof of eligibility at the time of entry.
Opening Hours
The palace
Every day from 9 am to 6.30 pm from April to October
Every day from 9 am to 5.30 pm from November to March
Closed on Mondays and May 1st
The estate of Trianon
Every day from 12 pm to 6.30 pm from April to October
Every day from 12 pm to 5:30 pm from November to March
Closed on Mondays and May 1st
The gardens
Every day from 8 am to 8.30 pm from April to October
Every day from 8 am to 6 pm from November to March
The park
Every day from 8 am to 8.30 pm from April to October
Every day from 8 am to 6 pm from November to March
The gallery of coaches
Open every Saturday and Sunday
Opening hours: 12:30 pm – 6:30 pm
How to reach the Palace of Versailles from Paris
By train
Public transport is the main mode of transport between the Paris center and the Palace of Versailles. RATP and SNCF operate three lines to the Versailles. The palace is located within 10-15 minutes’ walking distance from the station.
1 – RER C from Paris centre to Versailles-Château-Rive-Gauche
2 – Transilien N from Gare Montparnasse to Versailles-Chantiers station
3 – Transilien L from Gare Saint – Lazare to Versailles-Rive-Droite station
Palace of Versailles is in zone 4 of Paris public transport zones. You can use Navigo, Mobilis, and Paris visite pass with a zone (1-4) recharge if you are coming from Paris.
By Bus
If you are coming from Paris, the best option is to take the 171 number bus from the Pont de Sevres metro station (line 9). The t+ ticket can be used on this bus.
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